The United Democratic Front and the Congress party appear to be on parallel tracks on the issue of cooperating with the Left Democratic Front against demonetisation of high value currency that has negatively impacted Kerala’s cooperative sector.
For the UDF, the popular discontent at the shortage of currency notes presents a good opportunity to oppose the BJP. The UDF meeting on November 9 had decided to forge a common front with the Left parties to isolate the BJP. .
But Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran has put the brakes on such moves. His stand is that the Congress cannot share a common platform in the backdrop of the CPI(M)’s attempts to wrest control of district cooperative banks dominated by the UDF. The KPCC has given a call for a separate Raj Bhavan march on Monday in protest against the Centre’s “apathy towards the crisis in the cooperative sector.” The protest march is intended to distance the Congress from the moves to create a common platform.
Senior UDF leaders feel that Mr. Sudheeran’s stand cannot be justified. There have been several occasions when the CITU and the INTUC have come together on issues affecting workers. The current crisis in the cooperative sector is something that warrants a similar approach since the sector plays a vital role in the lives of ordinary people, the leaders say.
A few Congress leaders were also critical about Mr. Sudheeran’s way of announcing decisions without convening the party executive committee. Prior to becoming president, he had been a votary of convening party committees for party leaders to air their views, they feel.
The UDF is meeting here on Monday to discuss the stand to be adopted.
